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Original poster

To really dislike Bridget Phillipson?

381 replies

Sensiblyplease · 08/10/2024 13:09

I just absolutely can’t stand the woman.

The lady seems to be making decisions based on personal prejudices and causing intentional division in our education system.
She’s not listening to anyone, and the consequences her decisions are having is far too impactful to ignore. As someone in her power she should model balanced politics, based on evidence, instead of in-sighting hate and division.

My children are in state school- we’ve had 3
more children come into their year group with SEN but no EHCPs as their previous independent schools could cope without one. The parents inform me it’ll take a few years and that’s if they get one- and then they can either go back to their previous independent school (as apparently they won’t have to pay VAT with an ECHP?) or have the help they need according to the results of the ECHP.

Im just so angry. I have nothing against these children and can understand they can’t afford the VAT increase and needed to move back into state schools, but it’s now really disrupted the class. The TA is apparently out the class all the time now and the class teacher has 32 children on her own. It appears that Bridget’s insistence and personal hate against the private sector is damaging to state school children. It’s really pissing me off - our children’s education is important and not to be messed around with.

I feel like the woman likes a good headline but is prepared to throw our children’s education away in order to meet her personal objectives / vendettas.

What is she actually doing for state schools? Her headline grabbing titles is deflecting from her actually trying to improve state education in any meaningful and impactful way. 6500 teachers - so my kids get 1/3 of a teacher for their school? That’s shocking. More children entering the state system now puts pressure on their school, and their teachers. What is she actually doing to address this. Where is she magic-ing these trained and qualified teachers from? What is she doing to retain teachers and help with their current work load?

I’m fed up with her agenda effecting normal people. We need someone with a level head to sort schools out. End of rant!

OP posts:
MamasitaGringita · 08/10/2024 13:38

I think she's great. She's passionate and advocates for disadvantaged children. What's not to like? I have children in both state and private school and I'm happy to pay the small increase (11%) and I'm also happy if a couple of extra children join our local state primary. There will be at least 6500 new teachers paid for by this which will hugely benefit the state schools that need them (not all are understaffed so they won't be split into thirds 😂). I think the country is long overdue this injection of cash into state schools. I think this moaning from some, not all private school parents needs to stop. Some are becoming obsessed and I'm fed up of hearing how hard done by they are. They have absolutely no idea how lucky they are to be in the situation to be able to afford private school in the first place and can easily afford the top up but are too tight fisted.

DadJoke · 08/10/2024 13:38

At some point my cup of tears of people who are whining about paying VAT on luxuries will be full, but in the mean time - keep going.

Original poster
Sensiblyplease · 08/10/2024 13:35

State school parents - can you please help me and write what you would like changing.

Hit me with everything. We need class sizes, TAs ect as I am going to try and write to her and go to one of her meetings and discuss what actually needs doing for children.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sensiblyplease · 08/10/2024 13:33

DefyingDepravity · 08/10/2024 13:23

Yeah, I hear you. She perceives highly-resourced education as a luxury education. Her comments were very either/or: indie schools can have astroturf pitches OR mainstream schools can have mental health support for children. It's a very reductive way of reasoning and does not stand up to scrutiny, but it sounds good.

They can raid all they like, but they also have to be honest that the increased finances from VAT are not being ring-fenced to prop up education for the masses let alone for our amazing (and traumatised) kids with SEND.

This is the problem of ministers with zero understand of education fannying around in school finances, curriculums, attendance, inclusion, etc, and choosing specialist educational advisers with agendas that have little to do with what's best for children.

Yes sorry I didn’t mean to highlight the SEN children separately- they are wonderful. They are lovely children and their parents are.

I think I’m just upset that she’s using her power to disrupt an already over burdened system and it’s my children who will suffer. (And of course the children who are moving across - I’m not minimising their impact).

I wondered if other state school parents would sign a petition I am doing to hold her accountable and actually list what meaningful changes she is doing in the short term and to ask her how she will offset the amount of children who will be coming into the state education system.

I’m wary I don’t want this post to be about VAT on independent schools- as I’m not on that side of the fence and I’m state educated , as are my children. But I also feel lucky they can be as we have a good school near us and grammar schools for high school and I don’t require wrap around so could choose a state school that doesn’t have this.

I just question if the woman can go full steam ahead with a headline grabbing agenda that doesn’t appear to have any financial benefits (due to the costs offset for those leaving independent schools) or any benefits for my children and the 93% of children in state schools. Other than making class sizes larger and taking resources away (sorry private school parents - im not having ago here at you but more kids in the system means less for the ones already there).

If she can’t listen to unions, teachers from both state and private schools then she really shouldn’t be in her position.

OP posts:
SurroundSoundLol · 08/10/2024 13:32

I was waiting with hopeful anticipation after the election, that education would be prioritised once more, like with (old) New Labour. The promises sounded really good - extra funding for more teachers, mental health prioritised, curriculum reviews, breakfast clubs - these all sound like the start of great support for the sector.

But as time goes by, it all sounds very very hollow, not least because her only idea is to get private school parents to pay for everything. And now with a cynics eye, I feel like these are messages that were focus group tested and "played well" to campaign teams. But absolutely no planning or costings behind any of it, even though they bleated on and on that everything was fully costed. No it isn't! Why are they lying to us, and this woman in particular. The amount expected from tax won't even be made, and they have no other good ideas. We need so much more than that. I voted hoping for so much more than this :(

DefyingDepravity · 08/10/2024 13:23

Yeah, I hear you. She perceives highly-resourced education as a luxury education. Her comments were very either/or: indie schools can have astroturf pitches OR mainstream schools can have mental health support for children. It's a very reductive way of reasoning and does not stand up to scrutiny, but it sounds good.

They can raid all they like, but they also have to be honest that the increased finances from VAT are not being ring-fenced to prop up education for the masses let alone for our amazing (and traumatised) kids with SEND.

This is the problem of ministers with zero understand of education fannying around in school finances, curriculums, attendance, inclusion, etc, and choosing specialist educational advisers with agendas that have little to do with what's best for children.

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